SEARHC launches ALERT health record program

Posted: Thursday, July 29, 2010

The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium took a significant step forward July 14 in its four-year systems transformation project when SEARHC became the first health organization in the United States to launch the ALERT Clinic software program at its Ethel Lund Medical Center in Juneau.

The ALERT Clinic software program is an electronic health record for ambulatory care clinics. ALERT Clinic previously has been in use in seven other countries in Europe, Asia and South America. The ALERT Clinic program will provide electronic health records for the approximately 21,000 patients who visit the Ethel Lund Medical Center each year.

The Ethel Lund Medical Center is the first SEARHC facility to begin using a comprehensive electronic health record for all patient encounters. Now whenever a patient visits the Ethel Lund Medical Center in Juneau, medical staff are able to use a computer to access a complete patient record that includes lab results, medical imaging tests, medication records, chronic disease prevention and case management records and more. Making the switch to electronic health records will enable SEARHC to provide better health care to its patients.

The SEARHC systems transformation project started in 2008, when SEARHC launched several standalone computer programs for its business, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and other functions. The various ALERT software programs bring all of the clinical programs into one comprehensive system.

When SEARHC's systems transformation project is finished in 2011, medical staff at any of SEARHC's facilities will be able to access and update patient electronic health records in real time using ALERT.